Results 7,161-7,180 of 8,235 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay. I will go through all my questions, with respect.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is just that it is a sevenfold increase. Again, I am asking whether there have been extra measures, not what the general process is, given the alarming increase.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The feedback message we got very strongly in the previous session was that it had exclusions with regard to fossil fuels and cluster munitions because it was politically required to do so legally. However, when we asked at that time - of course, there seems to have been a change of policy in the last couple of weeks - the representatives made it very clear that they wait for guidance,...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Before we agree, and I am not going to block it, I wish to highlight that I am concerned about this practice. I am disappointed to see it come from this Department but it has come systematically from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and others where there have been very large-scale changes and additions to Bills, additional provisions and amendments and whole new...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The practice of tagging unrelated amendments to Bills is something that needs to end. I have some concerns and questions regarding the transfer of maritime area planning functions from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, namely, the fact that while we need offshore renewables and progress relating to them,...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Citing war is never a great reason for doing things. It is not a good rationale, certainly in terms of the environment. One of the things the war is currently being used to justify on the part of Ireland’s energy strategy is buying coal from Colombia with massive environmental and human rights breaches. We have somehow justified that and used the war to justify it, and that is...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will finish at this point except to note that if there is close co-operation, the Minister of State should already know when that legislation will be published. We should not be in the position where we are being asked to move ahead in one aspect of what happens in our waters, in the seas of Ireland, without knowing the other piece. It is not a general query. I am sure we can get...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay. Thank you. I look forward to it.

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would like to move amendment No. 4.

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I do not have my seconder with me, unfortunately. I will not be able to discuss this, unless one of my colleagues from the Government side wants to second the amendment, which concerns a report.

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A similar situation has arisen. There is a tiny chance that somebody will arrive on time. Is it possible for me to move the amendment and then have it seconded subsequently? Do I need to move it, have it seconded and then speak?

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is it possible to ask for a suspension for two minutes?

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Okay. I will ask for a quorum.

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 5: In page 8, line 6, after “order” to insert “, with such an order requiring approval by resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas,”.

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The amendment relates to the order that appoints a Minister as the majority shareholding Minister. As I said, at present, the Bill provides that a Minister could become the majority shareholder. This relates to the functioning of Gas Networks Ireland, GNI. I was not able to move amendment No. 4 in respect of amending the functions and mandate of GNI. We have previously discussed how we...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Could I just check on the grouping? Are amendments Nos. 6 and 7 taken separately?

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Then I will not go into some of the additional subject matter on amendments Nos. 6 and 7. Rather than just simply being able stop the inappropriate transfer of power, we hope the Minister would have an ambition whereby we could actually seek out and promote what is appropriate. Again, we are not necessarily going to know what the intentions, priorities or vision of a Minister are going to...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 6: In page 8, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: “(4)The majority-shareholding Minister shall, prior to issuing a shareholder letter of expectation to Gas Networks Ireland, lay such a letter before both Houses of the Oireachtas.”.

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 6 would require that prior to any shareholder letter of expectation being issued that it would be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. This is important from the point of view of public transparency and accountability and given the context that shareholder letters to other semi-State bodies such as Coillte and Bord na Móna, have shown very little regard for climate...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (17 Apr 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There are concerns regarding the actions. There is potential for tension, with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, calling for a shift in policy and Gas Networks Ireland apparently being able to ignore that call. Some unknown Minister, however, will be able to send a non-public letter. When I brought forward my Climate Action and Biodiversity (Mandates of Certain Organisations) Bill 2023, which...